“We are looking very closely into this matter and considering next steps,” Kerry stated. “While we cannot yet confirm details, if true, this would be only the latest tragic example of the Assad regime's atrocities against the Syrian people, which the entire international community must condemn.”
According to media reports citing Syrian activists, the Syrian government carried out a chlorine gas attack on Sarmin.
The Syrian government has denied accusations of using chlorine.
“The Assad regime’s horrifying pattern of using chlorine as a chemical weapon against the Syrian people underscores the importance of investigating this allegation as quickly as possible,” Kerry urged.
Syria has agreed to get rid of its chemical weapons arsenal via Russia's mediation following the attack near Damascus that killed over 1,000 people in August 2013. The Syrian government and rebel forces traded blame for the attack.
At the end of October 2014, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reported that nearly 98 percent of chemical weapons removed from Syria had been destroyed.
